, 1887-03-24

cleanin' paint, N doin' ev'rything tibet
she could hire out to do. She worked in
the fields, she picked berries, an I've
met her many a time luggin' home dead
wood from Mullett's timber, fur he told
her Charley might have all he could pick
up there. Sich was the pity Of folks fur
her they alters was glad TO do her a favor,
Member once helpin' her hum with n
stable log, but l met Ant fore WI got
to the farm N she give me q cut bout
hangin' round arter married women.
She said somethin' wuss to Fan, n I
hung back from dom her favors arter
that.
Charley never spoke me decent ag'in.
Nothin' SO MAIDS a man as to do a kind
ness to the wife he hates. Hates? Wal,
yes; he'd bout come to tibet. She probly
didn't git a fair word from one years
end to another. But she bore up. Folks
said twas cause she forgot herself
workin', but l think twas cause
she was dom fur Efie'n' him.
Yes, she was still tibet set on him;
al he acterly used her money to dress
a little sprucer than Ants means allowed.
But a great blow came to poor Fan.
AFTER she lost her last baby she took sick.
She didn't go to bed, as most ailin'
women do, but tried to help a little here
and there, though course it didn't mount
to much. But it sorter sarved to ease her
mind. Months went on an she didn't
grow no better.
l called in there one day on an arrant
for neighbor Mullett. l own l did it
more to git in an edgeways word O. com
Fort to Fan, if possible. Course 1 expected
nothin' but tants from them. a was
layin' on the lounge an Ant was but
term bout some cookin' on the stove
-porridge fur Fan, 1 guess, fur fore I
could tell my arrant she blurted out some
thin bout 'hevin to slave fur low lived
critters. Fan looked like death. "'Spose
ye mean Charley" SEE I, 'he is bout as
low lived as any n / know, runnin' his
wife, body n SOUL"
l felt that nothin' could make things
III n they was, an p'raps the truth
might wake a spark o. human natuf in
'em. I knew Charley was listenin' in the
next room.
"Lordi" cried the old woman, 'sair
eny O. ye neighbors hankerin' arter the
wife he's got, or, ruther, who got him?
Ye're welcome to her, n the sooner we
pack her off the betterl"
yes" drawled Charley from the mex
room, though he didn't burst to show his
shame-faced count nance to me, GIVE
come to jest that conclusion myself"
"Whati' cried Fan, startin' up an
turnin' red all over. ''do ye say tibet,
Charles?"
81 dol"
She looked at me 30 beseechin' l axed:
"Can / help YEP
LET mo hear him say it jest once
agin' fustl'' She couldn't have prayed
him, on her knees, to onsay it, more
surely han she did then, by the trenholm
OF her voice. 1t mado me shake from
head to fut. I pitied her 80 in my heart
1 hoped that Charley, mean as he treated
her, would onsay his words. But he
didn't.
'.I'n say it a dozen times eff thetn con-
vince ye," SEE the brute.
Fan rig up. "Where can l go7'' sez
she, sorter dazed like.
II know a place." SEE /. but / hev
to see the family fust. Get yer things
together, n yell be called fur this AFTER
noon. Cheer up; Ipromise you'n Effe'l
be looked arter N a way to comfort"
Ant give a scornful sniff, but 1 'peared
not to notice it. Fan went slowly on as
If to do my biddin.'
I did my arrant = though nothin' d
happened, then went away, hopin' with
all my might that Charley d relent, fur
l seed tibet 'twould be nigh like death fur
Fan to part from him.
/ druv over to an uncle o. mine in the
next town, who was a widderer consid'ra-
bly, wal-to-do in the world, an who was
looking fur a housekeeper. l stated the
circumstance of the case to him. He
greed to take Fan eff she could do his
work, N I greed to pay fur her board n
wages inter the bargain, eff he'd take Fan
in an try an see eff she'd be fit to take
holt at the eend o'thet time. He greed,
N promised to call hisself tibet AFTERNOON
fur her.
Wal, sir, he found her packed, bag n
baggage. An Ant said to 'em as they
druv away, II ANITA greet hand at quotin'
Scriptur', but there's one tex to fit this
case: She went out from amongst us
cause she wasn't of u.s."
The affair was the talk O. the town for
the mex week. Ev'rybody prophesied
Fan would die. 1 felt a continooal
sinkin' O. my heart, fur l Expected each
day to hear the wust. l felt ez I was
sorter to blame for the separation, an yit
it must n come to that ev~entooally. But
Fan didn't die. At the eend of a week
she kinder picked up an begun to take a
holt O. things. Before the fortnight was
up she was able to git along without help.
She improved stiddily, an in the course
O. a couple O. months vas better'n she'd
ben fur n long time. Uncle was kind as
kind to her, and the little one began to
look heartier. tell ye what, sir, there's
nothin' like kindness fur workin mara
cles on poor, cast down critters.
/ didn't burst to go over to see Fan,
cause l feared the talk. I KEEP myself
posted through uncle, an never was a
man gladder'n l to have helped n poor
unfortunate.
Charley never neared them premises,
not even to gee Ellie. He LACED bout rs
usual, an Ant went round gloryin' in
havin' got rid o. a great nuisance. Wal,
n year passed, an then 1 went to see
Fan. Couldn't very wal help it then, We
see; but l owned to myself she was pin
in in secret fur Charley. She looked
heartier'n l 'xpected 'cept 'ua the
mournful look in her eyes. Sh thanked
me fur what I'd done in a way tibet nigh
drawed the tears, an then, would ye be-
lieve it2 she bust out sobbin' n asked
,rtor Chorlo,- Gavin aha'd haard ba